Top ranked kitty from Bucks and her sister face tough competition at Christmas City Cat Show

Sookie isn't your routine slender and sexy beauty queen. She's short and chubby and her eyes look as if they're ready to pop out of her head. But this Bucks County kitty is dynamite in the cat world.

Formally known as Berryhille Sookie Stackmouse, the Springfield Township feline is one of the hottest local "stars" competing Saturday and Sunday in the 27th annual Allbreed and Household Pet Cat Show, hosted by the Christmas City Cat Club in Palmer Township's Charles Chrin Community Center.

The 8-month-old exotic shorthair, with tabby-like coloring and a flat, Persian-style face, didn't have to claw her way to the top of The International Cat Association standings. With her style and markings, the classy kitty quickly rocketed to the top as International Second-Best Kitten.

But now, she faces some very tough challengers, including a surprising opponent — her sister, Berryhille Molasses Cookies, or Molly for short.

Although Sookie has racked up an impressive raft of ribbons, she has to take a deep breath and start her climb to the top of the tree all over again. Why? Because she has grown out of the kitten class. She turned 8 months old a few days ago, so now the cat world calls her an adult cat.

And her competitors are some 150 to 200 cats, mostly from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, but also from other northern states and Canada. They will vie for points and ribbons at this cat show.

Sookie will compete for best in her breed and against other breeds for best of the best, but she's got to overcome the unusual challenge from her sister.

The foxy female can take it. Sookie was named for Sookie Stackhouse in HBO's "True Blood" vampire drama series. Owner Mary Lynn Krause explains, "Like the TV character, my Sookie has the ability to read minds. If I'm even thinking about giving Sookie a bath, she senses it and vanishes."

Krause, who owns Berryhille Cattery, also owns Molly and the two cats' mother, Betzy (officially Nanc-C Bizzy Betzy of Berryhille).

"Cats really are loving animals, but they've gotten a bad rap," Krause says. "It could even go back to 'Lady and The Tramp.' The two Siamese cats in it were portrayed as being sneaky."

"Normally, a breeder won't provide competition for her own top cat," Krause says. But, she explains, "I'm really looking for opinions from the show's judges. I want them to help me determine whether Sookie or Molly is my best cat."

Why the debate? "I've always favored Sookie and taken her to the kitten competitions, while leaving Molly at home. However, I know Molly has winning qualities of her own," she says.

When you first see Sookie and Molly, the pair of exotic shorthairs look like twins. They each have the tabby's characteristic "M" of brown and black striping on their foreheads and also the typical, black and brown "butterfly" pattern above their shoulders. Their medium-length coats are equally plush and soft. Both have thick tails that are broader than a normal, short-haired cat's tail but not nearly as fluffy as a Persian cat's tail.

Molly has lighter-brown shading around her face, which makes her appear a little less foreboding, but she's slightly taller and bigger — and weighs 9 pounds to Sookie's 8. Sookie's eyes are much more prominent; Molly's eyes are smaller and spread farther apart.

They have different personalities. At first, when they play, the pair politely take turns batting at a feathery sparkler. But then Sookie moves in and bites at it, stopping only when she pulls out a green feather, which ends up hanging from her mouth. Krause says, "It looks as if she has just swallowed a parrot."

Sookie also is more likely to do some showy strutting for visitors and then will plop herself on the coffee table so she can be admired while primping herself. Molly, on the other hand, coaxes for affection, rubbing against a visitor's hand until she gets petted. She comes across like, excuse the term, the "underdog."

If all goes well, Krause says, Molly will get her time in the judging rings at the Christmas City show. But there is a stumbling block that could prevent Molly from besting Sookie. She hasn't been exposed to all of a cat show's background noise and frequent loudspeaker announcements, as well as all of the attention from passersby.

"From the start," Krause says, "Sookie handled all of the noise and never got upset." Molly, however, jumps and sometimes runs when she hears a noise or senses something unusual in Krause's home.

So Molly doesn't stand a chance? Krause says, "I just don't know. I had one shy cat that changed completely. She loved being in front of a crowd." She adds, "If Molly can't take the stress, we'll take her home."

Hopefully, visitors will get to see both cats and wish Molly a little luck. But don't pet Sookie or Molly or any of the other cats at the show without exercising proper cat show etiquette.